Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy would inaugurate an oil palm processing factory at Narmeta village in Nangunuru mandal of Siddipet district on Sunday and simultaneously credit the first instalment of Rythu Bharosa assistance to farmers.
The Chief Minister will release ₹3,590 crore as the first instalment directly into the bank accounts of 70 lakh farmers owning up to one acre of land. The disbursement will coincide with the inauguration of the oil palm processing plant at Narmetta at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The second instalment of ₹2,650 crore will be released on April 9 or 10, while the balance ₹2,860 crore will be credited as the third instalment before the end of April, completing the phased disbursement under the scheme.
Meanwhile, Ministers Tummala Nageswara Rao and Ponnam Prabhakar on Saturday reviewed the arrangements.
Speaking on the occasion, Transport Minister Ponnam described Mr Tummala as a “brand ambassador” for oil palm in Telangana, drawing parallels to Verghese Kurien’s role in Gujarat’s dairy sector. Oil palm cultivation, he said, would not be affected by monkey menace and was resilient even during heavy rains. The Narmeta factory would serve as a major hub for oil palm farmers in north Telangana. The factory has a crushing capacity ranging from 30 tonnes per hour to up to 120–180 tonnes, officials said.
Mr. Tummala Nageswara Rao said the Oil Palm Factory, spread over 32 acres, was constructed at a cost of ₹.300 crore and completed within 16 months. He said oil palm cultivation had expanded to 30 districts over the last four to five years, with private companies also coming forward. The Siddipet unit would be a key processing centre for the State.
Meanwhile, a 4MW power plant has been set up within the premises using factory waste for power generation. An independent oil refinery is also being established, and refined oil will be marketed directly under the ‘Vijaya’ brand. Farmers will receive payments within three days of selling their produce, he said.